No to Trafficking

BY RECTO MERCENE, Businesssmirror, 28 Jun 2021 THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) repatriated at the weekend 22 survivors of trafficking in persons (TIP) and illegal recruitment scams, following a lengthy stay in Syria.

by Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star), 7 Jun 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Some of the 303 members of the Badjao tribe who were rescued in Manila last Friday may have been meant by a human trafficking syndicate to work as laborers, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) said yesterday.

(Philstar.com), 27 May 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking and the Supreme Court have signed a pact to strengthen policies and programs to address trafficking in persons (TIP), Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said.

(Philstar.com), 18 May 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration uncovered a new human trafficking scheme that involves fake itineraries for aspiring overseas Filipino workers, only to be later illegally transported to United Arab Emirates.

CALOOCAN CITY, May 15 (PIA) — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today announced the conviction of a woman for human trafficking by a Quezon City Court.

by ABS-CBN News, 8 May 2021 Nasa 14 na kabataang menor de edad ang nailigtas nang salakayin ng PNP-Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-Bicol, ang isang cybersex den sa Camarines Sur nitong Biyernes, Mayo 7.

By DJ Yap, INQ, 5 May 2021 Underage girls from Mindanao, some as young as 14, were being sent to Syria using tampered passports under a scheme hatched by unscrupulous recruiters and immigration officers, a Senate committee learned on Tuesday, as it peeled a new layer in the insidious trafficking of young women to the…

MANILA – Senior officials of the United States and Philippine governments conducted on April 29, 2021 the final high-level dialogue to mark accomplishments and outline next steps after the conclusion of the four-year US – Philippines Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership.

by Roy Mabasa, 29 Apr 2021 The four-year partnership between the United States and the Philippines to combat online sexual exploitation and child labor trafficking has resulted in the arrests of 97 perpetrators and successful identification of 312 victims, a joint US and Philippines report said Thursday, April 29.

By: Christia Marie Ramos, 25 Apr 2021 MANILA, Philippines — There had been previous instances where some Filipino workers staying at the Philippine Embassy shelter in Damascus were “re-trafficked” to their employers allegedly with the help of several embassy personnel, the country’s new top diplomat in Syria said.

by Robertzon Ramirez, Rudy Santos (The Philippine Star), 23 Apr 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) intercepted yesterday two women believed to be illegally recruited to work in Qatar.

by (Philstar.com), 12 Apr 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration warned the public on another human trafficking scheme victimizing former Overseas Filipino Workers who wish to work abroad again.

By: Cathrine Gonzales, INQINQUIRER.net, 25 Mar 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Two women arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in December 2019 for offering minors for sexual services were convicted for human trafficking by a Laguna court.

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by Rudy Santos (The Philippine Star), 25 Mar 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said yesterday it has launched an investigation into allegations that some of its officers were involved in the trafficking of 44 women to work in Syria.

by Philippine Daily Inquirer, 21 Mar 2021 After last year’s “pastillas” corruption scandal that involved illegally bringing in Chinese nationals to work in Pogos, the Bureau of Immigration is once again in hot water, this time over the trafficking of Filipino women to such countries as Syria.

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by Emmanuel Tupas (The Philippine Star), 17 Feb 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Thirteen women suspected to be victims of an online prostitution ring were rescued in Pasay City on Monday night.

by Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star), 9 Feb 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said the department has asked President Duterte to certify as priority bills that would amend the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act to strengthen the government’s campaign against online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).

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By: Consuelo Marquez, INQINQUIRER.net, 3 Feb 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Law enforcers have arrested an American and his three accomplices for allegedly operating a cybersex den in Angeles City, Pampanga, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Wednesday.

by Bella Perez-Rubio (Philstar.com), 2 Feb 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros is calling for a Senate inquiry into the human trafficking of Filipino women amid the pandemic.

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by Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com), 25 Jan 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday started an investigation into certain personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus for “poor treatment” Filipino trafficking victims while under temporary shelter.

by Renzo Acosta, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 23 Jan 2021 (First of two parts) (Note: Names of sex workers interviewed for this article are pseudonyms or internet personae.) MANILA, Philippines — Delilah, 23 years old, has been doing sex work since she was 18. “There was a time when I was so ashamed to label myself…

by Zandro Ochona, ABS-CBN News, 20 Jan 2021 MANILA — The number of recorded online sexual exploitation cases among children in the Philippines continues to rise despite the pandemic, and one of its youngest victims was a barely-month-old baby, the country’s inter-agency council against trafficking revealed on Wednesday.

by Robie de Guzman, untvweb, 18 Jan 2021 MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported that close to 12,000 Filipino travelers were barred from leaving the country last year amid the bureau’s continued drive against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

(by Philstar.com), 18 Jan 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration stopped more than 11,700 Filipino passengers from leaving the country in 2020.

MANILA – Citing reports of students holding a “Christmas sale” of sensual photos and videos to raise funds for distance learning-related expenses, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Cybercrime and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group to intensify their probe and crackdown on these activities.